Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-09-01
> WHAT WE DRINK.

Mr. Frank Nader Lectures on the Fu-
rity of Water at the v. Nj. G. A.
Rooms at Davenport Last Evening.
Mr.. Frank Nader. the chemist, went
over to Davenport last night and deliv-
cred an interesting lecture at the Y. NJ.
G. A. parlors on ''Water" II was the
first of a series of practical talks to be
given by members. The Democrats Ga
sette says the lecture of Mr.. Nader was
unusually interesting and was full of val
liable information. He first spoke of the
constituents of water-hydrogen and OK
ygen. and their individual properties,
their discovery and use in various exper
iments He explained the process by
which the gases are combined BY heat
and form the water. and then entered
upon discussion of the merits of the
different kinds of water
Rain water he considered as unsuited
for drink on account of the organic mats
ter which it contains and the lack of att
mospherie air in its composition. Even
the best of filters cannot remove the Of
ganic matter Therefore, people with a
respect for their own organs will think
twice before using cistern water depend
ent only on rains.
River water he considered better than
the other. 1t was comparatively pure a
year ago, but has been getting more poll
luted each year as the cities grow up
along its route and from emptying their
filth into it until 1t will become as the
Illinois river, which rises in stencil IN
the nostrils of thepeople who live ON its
banks.
We have great advantage over Other
cities in that We are just below the rapids
where the turmoil and constant mixture
of the water purifes it greatly. Still oul
river water is not all that could be de-
sired. In an analysis of gallon of it OF
point where it was quite muddy gave
as result 265 grains of solid matter
The engineer at the water works that da,
said that 8. 800. 900 gallons passed through
the pipes that day. which would maxi
10000 pounds Of mud. II made int
| bricks at five pounds to the brick i
would equal donation of 26 ,000 brick
| per day TO the water consumers of tn
city-a donation fer which they would b
thankful, but which they would probabl
prefer in some other form.
| Well water next received his attention
Most wells were merely holes in tn
ground, dug with the idea Of gettin
water without reference to Its purity. N
attention is paid in many cases to tn
presence of sources of contamination j
the vicinity, and as result the wells al
but cesspools to drain sewers and vault
not far distant and the water not onl
poisonous but filthy. He had take
samples from wells in the diptheria di,
trict aud the organic matter was distinc
ly visible.
Artesian we'll water he held up q
simon pure water, which must final
supersede all other for domestic Us
throughout the country-the necessit
being greater year by year as :he COUNT
becomes more densely populated, al
: ether water becomes more and more COZ
taminated with organic matter, fro
which the artesian well water is perfect
free.
: Mr. Nader. after the lecture. answert
a number of questions from members
the audience and then gave d number
7 experiments. He separated water into
: constituent gases by means of the ga
e vauic battery and also sodium and pC
/ the two gases when heated to combu
4 ton The necessity of oxygen in tt
n atmosphere to support combustion w
+, shown BY the more brilliant burning of
0 tapeLin oxygen than in air.
It A hearty vote Of thanks was tender
q Mr. Nader for his lecture, which W
= really most interesting and instruct
0 treat-far more so than the average lie
e ture.